How long will a ball python go without eating?

Ball pythons can go up to 6 months without eating. They are able to slow their metabolism and use stored energy. Snakes eat much less frequently than other animals due to the special qualities of their digestive systems.

Ball pythons are adaptable snakes that can make very good pets. If you are interested in owning a ball python, it is a good idea to learn all you can about snakes and how they should be cared for.

This article will explain why ball pythons may wait months for their next meal. It will also explain ball python care and feeding, with particular attention to their digestive systems and how they work to keep your snake healthy.

What if my Ball Python Stops Eating?

It is normal for a ball python to go off its feed, especially in the winter. During the cool and dry months of the year, the snakes frequently shed their skins. When snakes are shedding, they are generally not hungry.

Keep an eye on your snake’s health and make sure that everything is going well for them other than feeding. Offer food every 10 to 12 days. Do not handle it as often as you normally would.

Digestive Metabolism

How can your ball python go up to 6 months without eating? The answer lies in its special digestive metabolism.

Snakes can lower their metabolism to the point where they are surviving off energy stores in the body.

Ball pythons, in particular, do not use very much energy compared to other snakes, so their capability to do without food is extended.

Snakes can slow down their metabolism rates by 70 percent, helping them survive longer without food.

This is an important adaptation for wild snakes, since prey may not be as available at certain times of year.

As mentioned above, ball pythons frequently stop eating in the winter months and start again in the spring.

How Snakes Preserve Energy

All animals have the ability to preserve energy, whether by laying in stores of food to eat later, such as chipmunks and squirrels do, or by increasing fat reserves like bears do before they hibernate.

Other animals reduce their physical and mental activity levels during the cold months of the year, as penguins do.

Snakes have a special way of reducing their metabolism which is unique in the animal kingdom. A 2007 study from a University of Arkansas biologist found that snakes which were inactive during a six-month period conserved energy in specific ways.

First, the snakes used all of their body fat reserves. Then the snakes operate based on a “supply and demand” system. When there is lower supply of food, the “demand” from the metabolism also lowers.

Snakes’ Digestion Patterns

It seems incredible that a relatively small animal such as a snake can easily swallow a large rodent. Snakes are built by nature to be amazing eaters.

Snakes’ teeth cannot cut and chop food. They are meant for catching and holding onto prey. Snakes have digestive enzymes in their venom, as in the case of venomous snakes, or in their saliva, as is the case for non-venomous snakes like ball pythons.

When you feed your snake, the snake’s jaw expands to encircle the prey animal. Snakes’ lower jaws are in two parts, meaning that they can separate to swallow large prey. Swallowing is a long and complicated process for a snake.

When the prey has entered the mouth completely, it moves into the esophagus. Surprisingly, the esophagus of the snake can take up as much as one-half of the body. This muscular organ helps to move the food to the stomach where it can be digested.

Snakes do not like to be touched or handled while they are digesting. Handling a snake which has eaten recently can make it regurgitate its food.

This is not a good situation since digestive enzymes from the stomach can burn or injure the snake. Avoid handling your snake for at least a week after feeding for this reason.

As the prey moves down to the stomach, the snakes’ ribs expand to make room. When the food is completely within the stomach, the body’s digestive process breaks it down.

The gallbladder and liver produce bile, breaking down the fat in the prey. The pancreas also creates digestive enzymes.

The snake will digest all but the hair and claws of the prey, eliminating waste from the end of the body.

Possible Digestive Problems

When your snake is deciding whether to eat a prey item, they must be sure that they can actually swallow it.

Trying to swallow something which is too big can damage the snake’s health and make it regurgitate. Snakes must also be able to tell whether they can successfully digest the food before it begins to rot inside them.

When food rots inside a snake’s stomach, this produces a condition called distension. Distension means that the snake is enlarged with a ballooning effect. This can be very dangerous and can harm or kill your snake.

Other Digestion Facts

When snakes eat, they typically swallow food that is equal to 25 percent of their body weight. Some snakes like pythons will eat food that is equal to 65 percent of their body weight.

Snakes have a great deal of variation in their eating habits. Some of this comes down to personality, with some snakes being frequent snackers who eat once a week versus some snakes who eat larger meals less frequently.

Snakes that eat less frequently expend a lot more energy when they do eat. Their hearts, intestines, and livers grow when they eat and their oxygen intake is 60 times what it is when they are not digesting. The extra effort required by the body to digest means that your snake will have to be dormant for a while.

The Amazing Abilities of Your Snake

Snakes are cold-blooded animals, meaning that they cannot regulate their own temperature. They need to move to warm areas to keep their body temperature up.

When they are in cooler areas, they are less active, such as in the winter. Frequently, wild snakes will find a den together to keep warm.

Snakes like the ball python are generally nocturnal. They use surprise and stealth to catch their prey. They are able to track quick movements, and they have heat vision. They are very sensitive to vibrations.

Snakes also have a patch of cells in their nasal septum called the vomeronasal organ which helps them to detect moisture and odors.

Taking Care of Your Ball Python

Ball pythons (Python regius) are native to Africa, specifically the central and western regions. In the wild, they can reach up to 6 feet in length, but they are generally smaller in captivity.

They are shy snakes who like to hide in nest boxes, but they are generally friendly and easy to handle. The combination of their easy temperament and simple cage requirements makes them an ideal pet for the beginning snake owner.

One of the most attractive aspects of the ball python as a pet is the amazing array of color combinations and patterns that have been introduced by snake breeders.

Buying a unique snake is as easy as looking online. All of these varieties are known as melanistic patterns.

Availability

Ball pythons are easy to find. They can be purchased at pet stores, breeders, pet shows, and online. Make sure that you ask for a captive-bred snake since these are the healthiest and free of parasites.

Before you buy your ball python, make sure that it is already eating before you bring it home.

Size

Hatchlings are approximately 10 inches long. Adult females can be up to 3 to 5 feet long in captivity. Adult males will reach between 2 and 3 feet long.

Life Span

Ball pythons live for up to 40 years when they are well-cared-for. It is important to consider how long these pets live before bringing them home.

If you feel that you will not want to keep your pet for 30 to 40 years, you will have to arrange for a new home someday.

It is best to keep your snake for the duration of its lifetime since snakes thrive on routine.

Ball Python Temperament

Ball pythons are docile nocturnal snakes that prefer to spend much of their day in a nest box. They also enjoy basking under appropriate lights.

They are generally fine with being handled, meaning that you can build a trusting relationship with your pet ball python. When you handle your snake regularly, you will make sure that it is accustomed to human contact.

This is important for all pets since you will need to take your snake to the vet occasionally to make sure it is healthy.

Cage Requirements

For a ball python, the cage requirements are not complex. When the snake is small, it will need a smaller enclosure to feel safe.

Putting a small snake in a large habitat can produce stress. Even an adult ball python does well in an enclosure of 36 inches by 18 inches by 12 inches.

If you choose to buy a glass terrarium or tank, you will need to consider the humidity of the cage. It is hard to keep a cage with the right humidity when it has a screen top. Consider a solid top for your snake enclosure.

Cleaning and Care

Your snake’s enclosure will need cleaning regularly. Make sure that you clean up all feces and urine as quickly as possible.

Every 30 days, you will need to completely take apart the cage and remove the substrate. You will need to disinfect the entire cage and all accessories using a 5 percent solution of bleach and water. Rinse thoroughly and allow the cage to dry before reintroducing your snake.

Lighting and Heating

Like all reptiles, ball pythons have to be kept at specific temperatures to be healthy. You should make sure that you set up your enclosure with a temperature gradient, with a warm side and a cool side.

This will let your snake move between heat and cooler temperatures when it needs to. Ball pythons should have a basking area temperature between 88 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit and general temperature of 78 to 80 degrees.

Do not let the general temperature fall below 75 degrees.

To heat the enclosure, you can use undercage heating pads, ceramic heating pads, and basking bulbs.

If you buy basking bulbs, make sure that you have both daytime and nighttime (red light) bulbs. You will not need to put additional light in your snake’s enclosure.

Substrates

Paper towels and newspapers are probably your best choice for substrate material. These are cheap and easy to replace. Do not use cedar, sand, peat, or shavings. Cedar, in particular, can be very dangerous for reptiles.

Feeding Your Snake

When you have a juvenile snake, you should start by feeding them rat pups. Move up in size as your snake grows.

You can train your snake to eat pre-killed food that is thawed from frozen, but all snakes prefer to eat live food. Feed juvenile snakes once a week since they will need the extra protein and energy to grow. Adult snakes can eat every 1 to 2 weeks.

Don’t leave your snake alone with a live prey item, as these animals can injure your snake.

You and Your Ball Python

Ball pythons can make satisfying pets and good companion animals. Taking care of a snake is easier when you understand its biology and the reasons why it behaves the way it does.

If your ball python will not eat, try offering food every 10 to 12 days. It may be dormant due to the weather and humidity outside.

While it is normal for ball pythons to take a few months of the year when they do not eat, you should always check your snake for signs of ill health and talk to a veterinarian if you are concerned.